Perceiving and measuring change. Society, family, gender roles in surveys on both sides of the Wall (1955-1972)

Abstract

Through the reading, analysis and comparison of some of the major opinion polls conducted in the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic between the late 1950s and early 1970s, this article investigates the nature and extent of the changes taking place in the family, gender roles and the status of women in the two Germanys. The focus is not only on the results and responses given, but also on the nature of the questions asked, in order to understand the orientation and aims of those who conducted the surveys. The comparison between the surveys on either side of the Wall allows us to identify changes and continuities both in the status of women and in the common perception of it.